News Release Archive

Boat Cleaning Station Demonstration to be Held in Boise

Media Contact: John Redding, (208) 378-5212, jredding@usbr.gov
Teneal Jensen, tjensen@usbr.gov

For Release: March 21, 2011

Zebra and Quagga Mussels are creatures smaller than a penny that could end up costing taxpayers millions if their invasion into Western waterways isn't stopped before boats are launched.

The Bureau of Reclamation, the Northwest Power Planning Council, and the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation have entered into an agreement to install a boat cleaning station at Wild Horse Reservoir near Elko, Nev., in an attempt to prevent the aquatic hitchhikers from entering the Snake and Columbia River systems.

"I encourage the public to take advantage of this opportunity to see how the boat washing station operates and learn about the damage these mussels can cause to waterways when left unchecked," said Teneal Jensen, Native American Affairs Coordinator.

The boat washing station will be open for viewing on March 28, at Reclamation's Snake River Area Office on 230 Collins Road, Boise, Idaho, from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m., with a boat washing demonstration scheduled at 2:00 p.m.

The prototype boat cleaning station is a mobile, self-contained unit that can clean a boat within minutes and reduce the risk of transporting Zebra and Quagga Mussels into Wild Horse Reservoir, and ultimately into the Snake and Columbia rivers.

Zebra and Quagga Mussels are freshwater, bivalve mollusks measuring less than a quarter of an inch in the juvenile stage with a dark and white zebra-like pattern on their shells. They attach themselves to boats, which transport them to other locations where they threaten native species such as salmon and trout. They multiply rapidly in clusters, which clog water passages and equipment, causing damage resulting in expensive repairs and maintenance.

"The mussels pose a threat to aquatic habitats in Idaho and throughout the Pacific Northwest Region," said Jerrold Gregg, Snake River Area Manager. "The time it takes to wash off a boat will save habitat and taxpayer dollars."

The Zebra and Quagga Mussels have been discovered in the Colorado River system which is very popular with boaters who frequently travel recreation sites in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. Gregg says the boat cleaning station will help to stop the transfer of these invasive species into our water systems.

The boat cleaning station will be available for public use beginning April 2011. For more information, contact Rayola Jacobsen with RJ Consulting and the Northwest Power Planning Council at (208) 338-0019 or Teneal Jensen with the Bureau of Reclamation at (208) 383-2252.

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